Where there is Darkness, There is also Light
by SunriseSea
Summary: This is the story of Hitsugaya Toushirou's little sister; of how they grew close to each other and how he eventually became forgotten. It is the story of how darkness and light exist inside us, but it is what we choose to act upon that make us who we are.
1. Chapter 1: Conscience Decides

Chapter 1: Conscience Decides

"Get off of me!"

"Come back here, you troublemaker!"

The girl muttered under her breath, "Yeah right I'll come back here." She kicked up dust as she ran and soon the footsteps of her pursuer faded away. Relieved, Kyokki slowed down to a walk, looking down at her chest; the fruit and bread she had stolen were still there and she hugged it closer to her body. Just the scent of food made her stomach growl even louder.

It was a hard life in the outskirts of Rukongai; the houses were made of wood, streets were lined and covered with dust, and the people lived simply.

_Too simply_, she thought. People didn't stand up for themselves anymore; gang fights were becoming more and more prevalent as people became increasingly desperate for food and space. But even then, the people did nothing. Kyokki couldn't stand it. She, for one, wouldn't stand by and be pushed around. She would survive.

The place she called home was a crudely made shack suspended in the branches of a tree out in the edge of Rukongai's first district.

The bread was still soft when Kyokki rolled it onto her table. She sighed in contentment as her exhausted limbs settled into her bed; it'd been a long week in her search for food and finally, she'd get to eat. Finally.

After a moment's reflection of the past several days' events, hunger drove her to pick up the bread. She could feel her mouth watering even as she tore it into chunks but before she could wolf it down like her stomach wanted her to, an image floated into her mind - the image of a grandmother she saw through the window of a house during her week's forage.

_Seriously?_ Kyokki looked at her hard-won reward, unbelieving that she no longer wanted to eat. Hissing, she threw it back onto the table and stomped to a lopsided cabinet, swinging out a piece of cloth. She divided her food into two equal portions, setting aside her own and wrapping the other in the fabric.

It was a fifty foot drop from her treehouse to the ground, but she didn't even look twice before leaping.


	2. Chapter 2: Meeting and a Purpose

Chapter 2: A Meeting, a Struggle, and a Purpose

"What do you want?" A boy with white hair answered the door.

Kyokki watched him for a little while, intrigued. He had green eyes that were cold and distant, white spiked hair that seemed misplaced, and a low and disinterested tone of voice. Someone interesting, but not at all flamboyant; she liked that.

She could feel energy pulsating in him, energy that was moreso cold than warm, unlike the few other energies she felt around others. He was like her … except … "Nothing," she said, holding out the picnic bundle. "Here. I passed by your house the other day and your grandmother looked like she could use some food so I brought some over."

The boy glanced at it. "We don't need it."

"Shiro-chan, who's that?" A feminine voice sounded from the hallway and without any hesitation, the girl felt a flare of annoyance.

"My butt you don't need it." Kyokki tossed the bundle towards him, leaving him no choice but to catch it.

His eyes followed the movement, "Oy…!" But when he looked up, she was already walking away, a hand in the air.

_You are stupid, Kyokki,_ the girl thought to herself that night as she lay on her makeshift bed, _if you think that he's going to see anything in you. He has a family and you have no right to meddle in it._

There, that was it; the difference between him and her: it was family that separated them. He had a family … and she didn't.

In the short minutes she had met him, she had already felt bonded and she wanted to get to know him, no, she desired it. For so long, she had been pushing away possible relationships, whether it be family or friend and now, for the first time in a long time, someone had spoken to her like a human, like she was an equal. How could she not crave that more? She closed her eyes. _No. No. No._

She used to have a family, once, but living in the town where most of the adults were thieves or murderers, they had all died, and she was once again left alone.

_Families and relationships only bring disappointment, pain and hurt. Not to mention a bucketload of trouble that can be avoided. I shouldn't associate with them anymore …_ But even as she told herself, she could feel the bitterness and the jealousy and she knew she would go back to see him.

Rukongai was separated into 78 districts; the 1st being the most civil and organized, and the 78th being the worst imaginable. Kyokki originally came from the 69th district and travelled up to the 1st within a year, stealing food and resources all the way through.

Here in the 1st district, stealing was much harder (though it was easier to get away with it without being killed). But it was also here that the Court of Pure Souls was easiest to see.

That was where Kyokki wanted to end up - as a shinigami, living in the city of Seiretei. Even if it took her a hundred years, she had to end up there. It wasn't just because that she would have a family, for to be part of the Gotei 13 would mean that she would be part of its thirteen squads, and whichever squad she ended up would act as her home. It wasn't that she would finally belong somewhere, or finally be someone. But it wasn't like she didn't want it either ...

It was just ... she _had_ to be a shinigami. She _had_ to.


	3. Chapter 3: Stronghold of the Heart

Chapter 3: Stronghold of the Heart

Watermelon; that was what he liked. She saw him eating a slice as large as his face one day on the stairs of his house, watching the sunset, a great pile of empty watermelon skins next to him. But it was when he was watching the sun move from one end of the earth to the other that she saw something different in him; something more than just unpleasant disinterest or dislike. His eyes reflected a sense of beauty that she regarded as "too tender", but that was what made him relatable to.

Since no one was around, she approached him.

He looked at her, but turned back when he registered who it was. "Oh. It's you."

The girl sat down next to him, saying nothing.

The sun waned in a silence that lasted until the first glimpse of stars appeared overhead. That was her cue and Kyokki stood up, dusting her faded robes.

"See ya." The boy's low stunted voice sounded, not bothering to look at her.

She nodded and took off.

For the next several months, Hitsugaya Toushirou and her shared silent sunsets together and whenever they met, there were the quiet exchanges of bread (for the sickly grandmother) for a few small words alongside the satisfactory consummation of watermelon.

In time, Kyokki felt her heart grow warm whenever she was around Toushirou (whom she called Toushi to annoy him); it was an easiness she had long forgotten, the feeling that she was loose, able to say or do whatever she wanted without having to worry. She grew to smile whenever Toushirou scowled, and laugh when he spit out insults.

For him, she was a puzzle, but a rather enjoyable one. Before he had met her, the only people in the district who weren't scared of him were his Granny and Hinamori, but over the past five years that Hinamori had left, Granny had grown weaker and weaker and Hinamori visited less and less.

When his friend first told him that she was leaving, he had pretended to be glad, but her leaving left a hole of loneliness that he had refused to acknowledge. Kyokki's friendship filled the gap, but she intrigued him each time they met.

Despite the increased length of their conversations, he only knew who she was by the way she acted - when she was happy, there was an extra glimmer in her purple eyes, when she was deep in thought her brows would furrow and her gaze would be lost into the distance. But whenever she was beginning to address something about her, something that was deeper than just the surface, she would trail off and he would sit swimming in questions. There was a toughness about her that he couldn't get through and every time she withheld information from him, he would grow increasingly irritated. Plus the way her hair always covered her face annoyed him.

This summer night brought rain and Kyokki, who hated getting wet, decided to stay for the night.

She hated how the rain would make her clothes stick to her body, and hated even more how she would have to go through the tedious process of starting a fire and waiting, naked, for her clothes to dry out before she could get anything done.

She closed her eyes and lay down on the wooden boards of the porch, ignoring Toushirou's glance at her. The pitter patter of rain on the wooden railings and the soft plopping of droplets on puddles of water was soothing to her ears. She could smell the fresh scent of grass being raised from the depths of the soil and she breathed it in, deeply.

Toushirou turned back to watch a puddle at his feet ripple. He could hear his heart beating with the rain. There was a question he'd been wanting to ask. "Kyo," he muttered.

"Mm?"

"Why are you doing this for me?"

The girl sat up, slightly bewildered. "Doing what? When did I ever do something specifically for you?"

"I don't understand. Granny doesn't have to eat."

Now she was really confused. "What?"

Toushirou turned inanimately to her. "Spirits don't need to eat."

"Then why do we get hungry?"

"No one's ever told you this?"

"That matter? Tell me."

"I'm really rubbing in on you, aren't I?" he muttered under his breath, chiding himself for not being careful - Kyokki always became defensive whenever he mentioned the absence of people in her life, even if he didn't mean it that way. "Only spirits that have spirit energy need to eat. It's like when you're back in the human world - you use your energy and feel hungry."

Kyokki fell quiet. Spirit force. So the energies she felt radiating from inside her, from Toushirou, it wasn't just her imagination or an innate desire, she actually really had reiatsu._ I knew it..._

"What're you grinning like a mad fool about?"

"Toushi … you've been eating the bread, then, haven't you?"

Her question took him aback. "What? Oh. Yeah, but, hey. Oy!"

She wasn't listening to him anymore. They could apply to the school together. They'd be able to be shinigami together. She'd actually, for once, have a real friend. But, her smile faded, what if we were on a mission and-

"Why do you want to be a shinigami so bad?"

Kyokki's thoughts stopped dead and she froze, lifting her eyes slowly to study his expression. He was dead serious. Cold sweat beaded her palms. What could she say? There was no way she could tell him. He'd tell her no. He'd refuse her. She wouldn't let that happen. She couldn't. Kyokki stood up. "Goodnight Toushirou-kun." And walked inside.

"Oy, Kyokki. Oy!" She didn't turn to him. He slammed his knuckle down into the puddle, confused and angry. _Dammit Kyokki. Why won't you talk to me?_

If its one thing he knew for sure about his friend was that no matter what situation she was in, she would never give up or show vulnerability. He thought, after so much time, that maybe he'd be able to get through to her, but no; she'd pulled away.

Maybe it was time to show her how strong his resolve was.


	4. Chapter 4: Shinigami

Chapter 4: Shinigami

She couldn't tell him … she was already scared of what would happen if he stopped being a part of her life. There were too many things to lose once the bonds of deep friendship were created. Telling him would, without a doubt, hasten that. Kyokki closed her eyes, wishing for slumber to fall on her. She didn't want to think anymore. It'd been three months since she and Toushirou had met, and she hadn't told him anything about herself. Not where she came from, how she died, what powers she had, what she wanted to do, who she was… It wasn't fair to him, she knew. But … she couldn't… there was too much uncertainty, and too much weakness, too many things that could be used against her. There could be so much hurt … a tear fell onto the wooden floor and she curled up into a ball, doing her best to stop her shoulders from shaking.

Toushirou walked into the room, seeing his friend lying on her side. It looked like she was crying and suddenly he fumed at himself; he shouldn't have made her cry.

He sat down next to her head, leaning against the wall. It hurt to see her hurt, but she was so frustrating! She wouldn't talk when he asked about anything personal, and when she did decide to answer, her answers were always ambiguous. Why did she do this to him? Why was she like this?

He closed his eyes, resting his head against the wall. _What made her like this…?_

That night, the both of them tossed and turned, but it was Toushirou who woke up. Sweating from the dream he had just had, he stood up and walked outside, trying to clear his head.

"Yo."

The heck? A woman stood in the doorway; the one with orange hair and half her breasts sticking out of her black kimono. The shinigami from the market earlier. "What are you doing here?"

"Stop leaking your reiatsu all over the place and get some sleep. I would say the same to your friend, but she's already asleep," Hitsugaya looked at her blankly and she shook her head, "Yada, yada. Look at your grandmother; she's freezing." She replied nonchalantly, speaking as if he was an old friend. She nudged her head to the open window, where very clearly, the frail frame of the elderly woman was shaking.

Stunned, for the first time, the boy noticed just how cold the air in the house was. This was his doing … ? "Granny..."

The woman noticed his concern and reassured him, "It's not only your fault. Your friend's affecting her a lot too. The both of your powers combined together is a little overwhelming, even for me.

"Kid, I don't know your name, but you should think about applying for the Academy. Kids with powers like yours need learn to control it, or you'll just end up affecting the people around you. If this keeps going on, you're going to end up killing her." Suddenly, the night seemed quieter, more still, as if all the world hung on what she had said. He could hear the crickets chirping from the trees around them.

Toushirou looked at the woman and started to protest, "But-"

"Listen," she turned to him and placed a hand on his chest, right on top of his heart, making him conscious of his heartbeat, "Have you heard a voice calling out to you?"

Toushirou's eyes widened. _How did she know … ?_

"Ask your friend. Become shinigami if you want to find the voice because once you've found it, you'll be able to control your power." The floor shook slightly as a wave of cold racked the grandmother's body, causing her to shiver uncontrollably.

"Remember what I told you." The woman turned to leave.

"Wait," the boy called out, "What's your name?"

"Matsumoto Rangiku," she met his eyes and gave a quick smile. "See you."

The night's stillness did not leave with her passing and Toushirou turned away. Walking back into the room, he covered his grandmother with another patched quilt and resumed his former position by the wall. He thought about what Matsumoto had told him and of the dream he had before he had awoken. All the times before, he had only seen fragments of the whole, but tonight, the fragments came together: In his dream, he stood before a monstrous iced dragon in a barren wasteland of ice and snow. It was speaking to him, but he couldn't make out what it said because of the wind. Was this what she meant by the voice that called to him?

He watched as Kyokki's chest rose up and down with her calm breathing, wondering if she, too, was having a similar dream. He knew, even without her mentioning, that she wanted to be a shinigami - the way she watched Hinamori with just the slightest amount of awe, how, whenever she looked to the distance, it would always, somehow, every time be towards Seiretei, and even while he was with him, he realized he'd always been aware of something more than her presence, as if there was this quiet hum inside of her.

If she hadn't been overwhelmed by his leaking reiatsu at night, it would mean that her spirit power matched his. They could enter the Academy together, graduate together and spend the rest of their lives together. He would be with Hinamori and his grandmother wouldn't be sick anymore. He smiled at the girl; it seemed like a good future. _Shinigami, eh?_

"Kyokki?"

"Hm?"

They were having breakfast outside on the porch. Granny had slept in, so they were responsible for feeding themselves. She seemed better after Toushirou had fallen asleep for the second time.

The rain had cleared the skies to make way for a beautiful day. Kyokki enjoyed the sun bathing her legs as she shoveled oatmeal into her mouth. She had been thinking a lot about the prospect of being a shinigami. She was wondering how to tell Toushirou that she was going to leave. After Hinamori had left, he had hurt; she knew.

Her friend saw the familiar glaze begin to shroud her eyes and he took the chance. "You do want to be a shinigami, don't you?" Toushirou held his breath, the porridge bowl still in his hands.

"Yeah, I do," slipped from her mouth as soon as the thought registered.

Toushirou's eyes widened, but only just. She actually answered him … and it would probably be one of the last times she really gave him a real answer. He wasn't going to let it go to waste.

"A shinigami visited me last night," he began, noting the words 'go on' in her eyes. He proceeded to tell her what had happened, what Matsumoto had said, and the dreams he had had previously, in addition to last night's. "… so I was thinking we could apply for the Academy together." He finished lamely. All of this somehow rushed out of his mouth before he knew it and he was afraid he had talked too much. It was unlike him, but when he saw her grin at him, all that was forgotten.

Kyokki looked up at the blue sky, concentrating on an abysmally small cloud.

"I have dreams like those too," she began quietly, "Night after night, I'd be wandering in a realm of complete darkness. It was different than a darkness I'd remember being exposed to as a kid though. This darkness felt … at home. I knew it so well even though nothing was in it. I didn't panic, I wasn't scared … I just … kept walking, as if I knew where I was going.

"Last night, I heard a whisper. The voice of a woman, whispering to me from the darkness. Her voice seemed familiar, but I can't recall where I've heard it before. She tried to tell me her name, but I couldn't hear it. As if the darkness had muffled it somehow," she looked at her friend, "We need to figure out what these dreams mean."

"Ah. I feel the same." Toushirou leaned back on his arms.

"But Toushi…," he looked irritably at her (he always did whenever she called him that). She didn't react to his expression but instead, asked, "What about your grandmother…?'

His heart sank and he looked down at the space between his feet. It had crossed his mind that he would have to leave her.

Granny was the closest thing he'd ever had to a mother; she'd taken care of him ever since he arrived in Rukongai, put up with his attitude, fed him and was his oldest friend. To leave her was … well, unfair. But he had to; for both him and her. "I think … she'll understand if I tell her why I'm leaving. It'd be better for her; I won't be leaking reiatsu and causing her to grow weaker night by night." he replied, looking at the sky. It was time for him to move on.

Kyokki nodded in understanding. Picking up their empty bowls, she walked inside.


	5. Chapter 5: Siblings

Chapter 5: Siblings

"How is it that whenever I'm not around, you always manage to get into some kind of trouble?"

Kyokki rubbed the back of her neck at Toushirou's chide. She had been resting under a tree when she was assaulted by a group of boys whom she had bested in sparring training that day.

It had been six months since their entrance into the Shino Academy and still, Kyokki hadn't fit into the class - partially due to the fact that she was from Rukongai, and partially because she progressed so fast, the other members had only time to develop feelings of bitterness and anger at the 'unfairness' of the situation. "A dog from Rukongai shouldn't be in the advanced class", was what most of them said.

On the other hand, Toushirou had found his own friend, Kusaka Soujirou, to hang out with. Kyokki rarely saw him around ever since he and the man from North Rukongai had met. To some extent, she was jealous, but she saw how much his abilities flourished with the healthy competition, and she kept it inside, unwilling to make him worry.

The men who had approached the girl in the midst of her nap were the sons of nobles, wanting revenge at how easily and effortlessly she had beaten them; she, a girl from Rukongai. A peasant girl.

"Hadn't had enough yet?" Kyokki had asked them, lazily opening one eye.

"Why you little-" A tree branch hurtled out of nowhere, striking the side of the man's face in mid-sentence.

"Oy, don't you know it's rude to be picking on a girl when she isn't even paying attention?"

All the heads turned towards Toushirou, who was holding another long branch behind him as he walked over.

The man who had fallen over got up, a long red mark running down the side of his face. "Who the hell are you? This isn't any of your business! Get lost before I hurt you bad!" he spat.

Toushirou made a 'tch' as he nodded to his friend. "You alright?"

Kyokki shrugged.

"Here." He handed her the stick.

Kyokki twirled it experimentally and then turned back to the gang. "So did you guys come for a re-match?" She could feel her taunt adding oil to the fire: the boy in front was shaking in anger, but there was nothing he could do - it would mean a certain humiliation if he lost to her now and he knew that he wouldn't be able to defeat her.

"You better watch your back. You were lucky that this boy saw you." he replied from in-between his clenched teeth.

_Whap!_ "You want me to show you how I can take care of myself?" she asked quietly.

The boy in front of her had to clench his fists to stop shaking and Kyokki lowered the branch. He backed away. "Let's go," but as he turned around, he found his way blocked by Toushirou, who was glaring at him. "What do you want, brat?"

Toushirou's green eyes pierced the man's brown ones. His voice was dangerously low as he said, "If you try to do anything with my sister again, I swear it'll be the last thing you do."

The man pushed past Toushirou, but Kyokki never had trouble with him again.

She turned to her friend, who was lying on his back watching the clouds. Apparently, Kusaka was busy with an assignment, leaving Toushirou with some free time. "Hey, Toushi?"

"Hm?"

"I'm … you really consider me your sister?" she asked, uncertainly.

Toushirou didn't answer the question right away.

He cared about her in a way that was different from how he cared about Hinamori. Maybe it was because Kyokki was younger, and he knew that she was only tough because she had to be. Like him, she kept everything bottled up. Hinamori cared about other people, and she was an easy person to get along with; she would have others to watch over her. But Kyokki … she was different. She needed someone like him, and in turn, he needed her. They were so similar in almost every way. Was that why? He wouldn't ever want to part with her, but he would die before admitting that.

They had six years before they would have to choose what to do, he wouldn't have to think about parting for a while. For now, it would probably be best if they were associated in some way or another. He closed his eyes, letting the wind wash over his face. "Ah. I do."


	6. Chapter 6: Kids and their Attitudes

Chapter 6: Kids and their Attitudes

"Sit upon the frosted heavens, Hyouinmaru!" The air went cold as an ice dragon exploded from the end of Toushirou's blade. He roared as he aimed it towards a small circle crudely drawn onto the cave wall.

Five years had passed since the siblings had left Rukongai. Within two years of entering the Academy, both Toushirou (who graduated in a year, top of his class) and Kyokki had graduated, earning themselves their own unique weapon - the symbol that they had become shinigami, a zanpakutou. They had been accepted into the Gotei 13 as a part of the tenth squad and it was a daily routine for the both of them to train here.

Kusaka had passed on the year that Toushirou graduated, his life ending before he himself could graduate. His death had only caused her brother to clamp even tighter about the details of his life, but nothing he could say or do could fool his sister; though there wasn't much that she could do except be there for him in her own quiet way. Seeing him use Hyouinmaru the way he did brought warmth to her heart; there was a period of time after Kusaka's death where he couldn't use his power at all. But that was past.

Kyokki ducked under the iced beast and sent a wave of something dark towards the dragon, knocking it off course. It hit the wall behind her with a loud bang, shattering into shards of ice. "You missed."

"Shut up." Toushirou faced the other way and slashed again, aiming for another circle.

Toushirou's zanpakutou was the strongest ice-water zanpakutou in existence, granting him the power to control even the weather. Training in a cave sheltered them from rain or any other weather elements, but when Toushirou released his sword, the very air around them became frigid.

_But it's not like he'd ever stop training just because I'm feeling uncomfortable_, she thought to herself. They'd formed an unbreakable bond over the past several years. Last they heard, six captains had recommended Toushirou to become a captain himself; they were just waiting to hear back about that. If he passed the test, he would become the tenth squad's captain.

_Hitsugaya Taichou_, she thought to herself, watching her brother rage away at the walls. She definitely wouldn't be able to call him that, not after the years of calling him Toushirou, and, most recently, Toushi-nii. But, she shook her head; she didn't come here to think about him.

Her hand gripped the black and red hilt of her zanpakutou and she felt her heart drain of all compassion and tenderness. "Toushi-nii. I'm going to go into bankai." she said above a huge crash as Toushirou's ice dragon rammed itself into the wall again, shaking the whole of the tunnel.

"Ah."

She nodded and whispered, "Bankai."

Darkness exploded from her blade, consuming everything that was around them.

Kyokki stood firm in the shadows. There used to be a time when the dark would have caused her to panic, but not any more. Her breathing was calm, and her heart was quiet. She smiled to herself - she was becoming one with her soul.

"Here I go, Kyo." Toushirou's voice sounded a couple feet in front of her. He couldn't see anything either, but they had practiced so much already that he could collect his bearings. The trick in the darkness was to control your fears, but he still didn't understand how she could be so comfortable in it.

Kyokki called back to confirm. "Ah."

There was a roar and the rushing of wind, but Kyokki only closed her eyes, controlling the quickening pace of her heartbeat. Hearing the wind whistle, she vanished, reappearing right behind her brother, striking his back with the flat side of her blade.

Without a doubt, her favorite part of training with him was being able to perform shyunpo (flash step). It was probably the only thing she was better than Toushirou at (everything else was pretty much equal, she thought). For that, she would have to thank Ukitake taichou, 13th squad's captain.

It was all connections, really - since joining the Gotei, she had met the shinigami whom her brother had told her of - Matsumoto Rangiku. Through her, she met Izuru Kira (vice-captain of 5th squad), Abarai Renji (a seated officer in 6th squad), and Kuchiki Rukia (vice-captain of 13th squad) and it was through Rukia that she received tuition from Ukitake. She smiled as she remembered the compliments he had given her and for a moment, she forgot that she was engulfed by darkness until she heard her brother's snarl of frustration.

Hyouinmaru gushed towards her, but by then, Kyokki had already regained her concentration. She vanished again, this time materializing next to Toushirou's feet. Tapping his femur, he swung his sword to counterattack and she dodged.

It was like hide-and-seek to her. In her bankai, the darkness was her realm; there was no space that she could not touch. It was an ability that sometimes frightened her.

She dodged another attempt from Hyouinmaru and tapped Hitsugaya, this time, on the nape of his neck, her thoughts racing.

The power of a zanpakutou came from one's soul; her power was darkness and all that it encompassed. What did that mean for her?

* * *

"Hey, you two boneheads!," Rangiku's loud commanding voice rang through the cave. She crossed her hands over her large chest. "Seriously, kids these days …"

The two siblings were panting, facing each other. After Kyokki had her bankai practice, it was Hitsugaya's turn. As both of them were still young, their powers had not fully matured, and controlling a bankai took an immense amount of energy.

Hitsugaya caught his breath and looked at his sister. She was growing so fast. Sometimes he didn't know what to do with her; her mischievous attitude caused her to do a lot stupid things and her powers allowed her to get away with them. Her powers, his eyebrows furrowed even more, sometimes frightened him. How could someone like her have such darkness in her heart?

"Hey, hey, taichou won't be happy if his two favorite kids beat each other half to death." Rangiku cooed as she walked towards them.

Toushirou straightened. "What are you doing here?" he asked monotonously, sheathing his zanpakutou.

"Toushirou, you should be nicer to me. You're speaking to your vice-captain!" she protested.

The boy crossed his arms and turned away, his eyes half closed.

Kyokki stood silently on the side, her sword sheathed and her arms crossed. She was always amused with the attitude her brother showed the vice captain.

"So what are you doing here?"

Rangiku looked at the girl. "Ukitake wants to see you, and Toushirou's been summoned by the Captain-Commander." She watched as Kyokki's eyes lit up with life. That was the trick to getting to know her - seeing past her stone expression and her biting words and into the emotion behind her eyes. But it was not an easy task, especially since her hair always covered her face.

Kyokki's heart raced. _Another lesson with Ukitake?_ They just had one yesterday and her toes were still tingling from the speed she had to move with. And why now, when the Captain-Commander had summoned her brother? Why not later? She looked over to Toushirou.

He sighed, knowing what was on her mind. "Don't keep Ukitake waiting." he told her in that tone of his.

Kyokki only gave him a look and then disappeared.

Matsumoto looked over at the boy. "She's really getting good."

The boy genius didn't reply, only paused for a slight moment before saying, "Let's go," and disappearing himself.

Rangiku shook her head. "Yade, yade, kids and their attitudes."

* * *

"Your shyunpo's gotten a lot better."

Kyokki folded her arms, her expression darkening. "Ukitake, please. You compliment me every time."

The captain laughed pleasantly, his long white hair shaking with his head. "Hahaha, well, there's no harm in complimenting someone for a job well done."

The girl's expression did not change. She was getting irritated - he was wasting her time. "Why am I here?" They were out on a hill covered with grass, overlooking a rather deserted part of the city.

Ukitake Joshiro still looked like a man in his 30's, though he was well past a hundred years old. A renowned fighter and extremely amiable, his poor health made him a hard person to find as he was always absent. The past week had been one of Kyokki's luckier ones; normally, she would only have lessons with him once a week. She'd had three so far.

"That's no way to address a captain, youngling." A second man walked towards them, his long hair pulled back with kenseikan, setting him apart as one from the Four Noble Families of Seiretei. He was the sixth squad captain, and Kuchiki Rukia's older brother.

Kyokki turned towards him, ignoring his comment. "Byakuya." She nodded.

The man narrowed his eyes, his fingers toying with the hilt of his zanpakutou. "Do you want me to cut you to pieces, you insolent brat?"

Ukitake laughed nervously. "Kuchiki taichou, take it easy. She didn't mean harm."

"For a non-seated officer, you've got some nerve to call me by my first name." Byakuya said dryly, but he took his fingers from the hilt.

The girl held her ground. "I'm not seated because I don't want to be. As for your title, I'll call you by your title when I think you deserve it."

Byakuya's hand straight back to his sword, drawing it faster than the eye could follow. "Fool,"

Ukitake began to interrupted them, but it was already too late - Kyokki had drawn her sword in retaliation.

"I will make you learn the reason why a captain should be addressed as 'captain', girl." The noble snarled as they circled each other.

The girl said nothing, letting her blade run across that of Byakuya's; the only words she was going to say were the ones her sword rang out. Byakuya seemed to realize that and narrowed his eyes.

"Fine." He shyunpoed behind her, aiming to finish the fight in one stroke, but before he could even stab her, he found himself on the defense; the girl had already dodged and was on the attack. His eyes widened as she swung her sword at him again and again. Her attacks were relentless even though she was two times smaller than him.

The grip on his hilt tightened as he parried another slash, forcing him back several meters, but she was onto him already. As he blocked a swing, he chided himself - he had underestimated her, but he wouldn't let her best him. "Scatter, Senbonzakura."

Kyokki leapt back as Byakuya's blade disappeared from her very eyes. The adrenaline was masking her surprise, but her eyes darted back and forth. Where could it have gone? Suddenly, something pink was hovering around her and she vanished, reappearing meters away, but she wasn't quick enough.

Blood dripped from her arm onto the grass below, searing pain shooting up her limb. Kyokki did her best to ignore it, focusing on the battle. His blade separates into senbon ... but she had no time to think - the petals were upon her again, but she was ready this time. She lifted her finger towards Byakuya. "Hado 58: Tehran!" An enormous tornado erupted from her finger towards her opponent and in the commotion, she whispered to her sword, "Plunge the world into darkness, Tokoyami."

For a moment, Byakuya's eyes had widened. "No way-" she had performed a level 58 kido spell without the incantation? That was the least of his worries. As his feet touched the ground, a darkness shadowed everything. What was this? Another kidou? He squinted - he could barely see anything ...

Kyokki took in a deep breath; her opponent stood only a few feet in front of her. Without another thought, she brought her sword down to cleave him.

All motion stopped and the darkness peeled away, allowing sun to shine on the grass field once more. Kuchiki Byakuya's eyes widened as he saw the black zanpakutou centimeters from his face; if it hadn't been blocked by Ukitake's sword, he would've been killed.

Kyokki 'tch-ed' and twirled her sword fancily before sheathing it. At that, Ukitake stood upright, sheathing his own weapon. "Well, that could've gone badly." he stated with a smile.

The noble surveyed the girl. She certainly had his attention: the ferocity and skills of her attacks, the tactics, and the powers she possessed ... what was she?

"Kuchiki taichou, did you get what you wanted?" Ukitake asked, bringing him back to reality.

The captain looked hard and silently at the girl. "Fine." And he turned, his sweeping captain's uniform flowing behind him.

When he had left, Ukitake turned to the girl, who was standing idly on the side. "You could've killed him, you know that?"

She shrugged lopsidedly. "He asked for it. But is that why you brought him here; so we could fight?"

"No," the captain turned back into the distance, "He's going to be your teacher when I'm sick."

"What? No way! He's a-"

"He's one of the only Kuchiki's in the past several generations to have been able to achieve bankai, he is a formidable fighter, a master at all four areas of the shinigami strength and you will grow much faster with him than you will fighting a sick old man like me," Ukitake looked at her hard, "You need someone other than Toushirou-kun to fight with, someone who doesn't know your every move. Someone whom you won't be afraid of hurting."

The girl knew he was right, but that didn't mean she liked it, and neither was she going to admit it. "Fine. May I go now?"

Ukitake sighed, running a hand through his long white hair. "Yes, young one, you may go."

She turned around, walked several paces and then stopped. "Ukitake-senpai?"

"Yes?" Surprise coloured his voice - she had never been respectful when talking to him.

"Why are you helping me?"

It was a while before he spoke. "Come sit."

Kyokki's frustration flared. She just wanted an outright answer so she could go see how Toushirou was doing. Nonetheless, she walked over and sat with him at the top of the slope.

It was a beautiful sight, reminding her somewhat of when she and Toushirou would watch the sunsets together back in Rukongai. It feels like so long ago ... her eyes closed and she smiled a little as the wind ran through her hair and Ukitake could see that for this one moment, she had put down the guard she had kept up for so long.

"Do you miss having company, Kyokki-san?"

Her eyes snapped open. Instantly, the wall was back up. "No."

"It's useless to lie; I can see it in your eyes. You're lonely, aren't you?"

"No." Kyokki clenched her fists.

"What's going to happen when Toushirou-kun becomes captain? Who will spend time with you then?"

The girl's heart twisted. She had thought about this of course, but had pushed it aside - she wanted to be happy for Toushirou. His promotion to a captain was something special; she didn't want to ruin that. Her fingernails dug into her palms. She would not admit that she was lonely. Not ever.

"It's alright," the captain said softly, looking at the vastness of the field as he spoke, "Just know that you have friends; Kuchiki-san, Renji-san, Matsumoto-san ... all of us." He smiled pleasantly as Kyokki glanced at him.

_Friends._ She never had many of those... just like Toushirou. Back in Rukongai, the people were afraid of her. Him. Both of them. But before that ... before that, people came, and people left. She knew it was a common occurrence in life - some people step into your life, and some step out; not everyone was meant to stay. But for all of them to leave? That was not normal. She was not normal.

Kyokki stood up, paused, and began to walk away when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"You asked why I'm helping you. I care about you. And so does everyone else. Let us help." His voice was so tender that if she didn't have a strong sense of self-control, she would've turned and wept in his arms right then and there.

But she had that self-control. She hadn't cried in years. Kyokki shook her head. "You can't help me." Shrugging off his hand, she disappeared.

Ukitake stared at the empty space where she had stood. His heart went out to her, but what did she mean?


	7. Chapter 7: The Burden of Responsibility

Chapter 7: The Burden of Responsibility

"Kyokki!" Hitsugaya Toushirou yelled irritably for his sister. This was the third time this week that she had neglected her squad chores. If she was so against being ranked, she could at least uphold the duties she was expected to do.

"Hitsugaya taichou's lost his sister again, eh?" a thin voice asked.

Toushirou turned to face Ichimaru Gin, captain of fifth squad. Gin's ever slitted eyes and mocking smile had always annoyed the child prodigy. "This does not concern you, Ichimaru." He replied with contempt.

"Yare, yare, no need to be so mean, Hitsugaya taichou. Though if you were wondering where your sister was, you could do to look," he pointed towards the east, "That way." He grinned further and walked away.

How was it that Ichimaru knew everything that went on in Sereitei? Toushirou's eyebrows twitched in irritation. With a sigh, he headed towards the area where Gin had pointed.

Another fifty years had passed dutifully since he had been appointed captain of tenth squad. His responsibilities had increased and the time he could spend with Kyokki had drastically lessened. It grieved him a little to see her training with someone other than him, but even so, he had to admit that it did her good - her flash steps were now so advanced that she could be part of the Secret Corps if she wanted to, and since training with Byakuya, she had only grown stronger and fiercer by the tenfold.

He frowned; she had never answered the question of why she wanted to be a shinigami so bad, even though so much time had passed. Now that she was, there seemed to be no end for her drive to become stronger and better. Her power grew stronger and more honed by the month. And her power, well, he still didn't know what to think about it.

Toushirou ran east until he spotted a dense cluster of trees. He smiled grimly - this would definitely be a place where she would be; his sister loved both the shadows and high places. Slowing to a walk, he entered the shade of the forest, calling for her. "Kyo!"

He heard her laugh and turned around, his eyes scanning the trees. "Kyo come out right now! I don't have time for this!" He couldn't see her. _Damn these shadows._

A rustling sound reached his ears and jerked him around. He sighed, drawing his sword. "I don't have time for this...!"

The rustling grew louder and a shinigami with red hair jumped out. Toushirou lowered his sword as he realized who it was - Abarai Renji, who was just recently named vice captain of sixth squad. "Abarai!"

The shinigami straightened, surprised to see the boy. He was holding his zanpakutou in his right hand and it was in its shikai release. Zabimaru was Renji's zanpakutou, and right now, it glinted dangerously with the little sunlight that reached it, the protrusions on the segments of his sword glowing with bloodlust. It died as Renji lowered his sword. "Hitsugaya taichou? What are you doing here?"

Toushirou sheathed his weapon. "Looking for Kyokki. You haven't seen her have you?"

Renji rubbed the back of his head. "Actually we were just- OY!"

Kyokki had leapt from a tree branch and clung onto his back, knocking him onto the forest ground. Her zanpakutou was sheathed, carried by a sash across her torso just like her brother's and she was laughing like no tomorrow. "You let your guard down!"

Though he was annoyed, Toushirou couldn't help but watch their interaction. When was the last time she had laughed like that with him...?

Renji raised his head, unable to move due to the girl's weight on top of him. "You idiot! I was talking to your brother! Get off me!" he yelled.

"Nyah. Not until you promise to take me to the human world." The girl taunted. She seemed to be oblivious to her brother's presence until -

"Kyokki!" Toushirou was tired of this child's play. Did she think that the human world should be taken so lightly? And besides, Matsumoto would be waiting and they had logistics to run over.

"Toushi-nii?" Kyokki flash stepped towards him, landing lightly on her feet. She was pleasantly surprised to see him here - normally he would be too busy to even talk to her. "What is it?"

"What do you mean 'what is it'? Half the squad's courts are dusty and they need cleaning." His anger flared as she looked at him blankly. They'd been over this conversation at least a billion times by now.

"So what?"

"You have duties to perform!"

"The whole squad's filled with dim-wits who can do that. Why do I have to?"

"Your squad is NOT filled with dim-wits and you are a part of Gotei 13. If you're not going uphold the duties that are to be fulfilled by a seated officer, then you might as well uphold the duties that are fulfilled by a non-ranked shinigami. That means dusting the floor." Toushirou's eyes glinted dangerously. What did he have to say to make her listen to him?

Kyokki stood fuming silently. This was the first time he had answered her question. Most of the time, he was too annoyed to say anything back. Regardless, she knew that he was right; she was just being selfish, but whenever she was within the courts, people walked on eggshells with her. She hated it. She hated how they whispered behind her back just because she was Toushirou's sister and wasn't seated. "The prodigy's kid sister", that's who she was.

She sighed. Her brother's reputation included her actions as well; if she neglected her duties, it would make a lasting impression on not only her (she could care less), but also him. There didn't seem to be a choice. Kyokki hung her head. "Yes, Toushi-nii." she mumbled.

Toushirou exhaled. As he turned away, he made a mental note to spend some time with her.

Renji got up from the ground with a grunt. "Well, looks like someone has chores to do. I should be going." The girl didn't respond. "Kyokki? Oy," he put his hand on her shoulder, "You okay?"

"I'll be fine." Kyokki shrugged his hand off, "You should be going. You have your duties to finish, vice-captain-san."

"Hey, don't take it out on me, you idiot." He gave her a playful shove, breaking a smile onto her face. "See you later."

"Renji?"

The vice-captain turned around, looking at the girl. "What?"

"Do you miss Rukia?"

The vice-captain of squad thirteen had been assigned to the human world to take care of the Hollows there. It had been two weeks since she was gone, but Renji could already feel the void growing in his heart.

"I see the look on your face when you talk to her," Kyokki said quietly. She answered her own question for him. "You ever wish you hadn't let her go?"

"Oy, this isn't the type of question you just go askin..." he trailed off, seeing the look in her eyes. Like Matsumoto, he had learned to see past her stone-faced expression. There was an overwhelming sadness that he saw now, but before he could say anything else, she sighed, said a quick 'see ya' and vanished into the shadows, leaving him alone to his flooding memories from almost a hundred years ago. _Yes_, he wished he had never- _No_, he corrected. _No. Rukia had a family, you didn't want to mess things up for her. It was her big chance. He couldn't mess it up. Not then, not now_. Clenching his fists, he remembered all the times they had shared together - from when they were kids in Rukongai, then competing and yelling at each other at the Academy, all the way up till before she left on her assignment. He blocked it out, shutting his eyes. What did it matter to him? A shinigami didn't need feelings; they only interfered with their duties. He would not let it get the best of him; it would be the best for him and Rukia.

Abarai Renji straightened and shifted his zanpakutou. Kyokki was right - he was a vice-captain now and he had his duties to finish.

* * *

"Kyo?" Toushirou strolled through the deserted hallways of his squad barracks. Every speck of the hallway had been wiped clean. Needless to say, he was impressed. He turned another corner and saw something flicker in the shadows. He called her name again, squinting his eyes trying to detect movement.

"Here." Out of nowhere, the girl popped up beside him holding a dirty rag. Sweat glistened on her brow.

Her brother crossed his arms. "How long have you been here?" trying to sound unimpressed.

"All afternoon," she replied, shrugging, "Why?" She kept her tone serious, but it was hard trying not to grin.

"Go clean yourself up and come see me in my office."

"Will Rangiku-san be there?"

Hitsugaya noted the formality his sister addressed his vice-captain with. If only she could be as respectful to him. "Maybe. She went out with Kira and Hisagi tonight."

They both knew what that meant - Matsumoto Rangiku had the biggest thirst Kyokki had ever seen. For someone who grew up in the 69th district, Kyokki had seen her fair share of drinking men, but none, and she meant none, could even compare to the amount Rangiku could down in a minute. The most amazing thing was that even if she did drink herself wasted the night before, she would always wake up the next morning fully functional.

"Get going." Toushirou's voice cut through the air.

"I'm not finished!" his sister protested.

"I'll get someone to pick up after you. Go."

Kyokki stuck out her tongue at him, but they both knew she was expressing her gratitude - she hated cleaning. Tossing the rag aside, she leapt into the shadow of the wall and disappeared, popping out the end of the hallway where the shadow ended and back into another.

Toushirou picked up the rag and sighed, walking back to his office. Ever since she had discovered that she could keep her zanpakutou half activated all the time, Kyokki had used every shadow she could to her advantage - shadow leaping, she called it. It saved energy for her to leap through shadows than to shyunpo around ... even though she could cover several hundred meters with one shyunpo, and she could do it for hours without even breaking a sweat, Toushirou thought to himself grimly. If she had worked harder and paid more attention at the Academy, she could've been named a prodigy too. But he deserved this spot; he had worked his butt off night and day when he was at the Academy so he could graduate early. He shook his head slightly: why did he think about this so often? She was happy with where she was... wasn't she?

Toushirou's heart skipped a beat when he realized he couldn't answer his own question. Wasn't she?


	8. Chapter 8: Unspoken Hurts

Chapter 8: Unspoken Hurts

"Did I hear correctly today that you wanted to go into the human world?"

_And so, the interrogation from Toushi-nii has begun_, Kyokki thought irritably as she lay prostate on the couch, facing him. She shrugged. "So what if you did?"

"Kyo," he warned. It had been a long day and he did not want to break down her defensive attitude. Ever since he had become captain and spent significantly less time with her, she seemed to have raised up a barrier towards him. And to think, he thought he knew her the best. He watched her stare at him with her hard purple eyes, her expression giving away nothing, and sighed. "If you don't want to tell me, fine, but I would still like to know."

Kyokki lay back, looking up at the ceiling. She had been waiting for so long for him to finally pay attention to her, that now, when he did, she didn't know what to do anymore. If she told him, they'd talk like old times, and then the next day, he would just be his cold, distant, captain-self and she would have to keep telling herself not to look for his attention, not to get in the way. It would probably be better for her not to raise her hopes, but, as always, her heart decided otherwise. "Yeah, I do. I'm sick of being stuck in the Courts and not being assigned any missions or not have anything exciting happen there."

"You would if you actually challenged someone for their seat."

Kyokki swung her legs so that they folded under her. "Toushi-nii, I'm not ... I can't lead anyone. If I had to challenge someone for a position, it would be third seat, and what difference does that make?

It's just a ranking in power, and we both know that we're," she was careful to choose her words here, "about equal in strength. There'd be no point for me to take a seat; I'm not capable of being a taichou or a fukutaichou and I hate the ranked system."

Her brother crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair. He thought of Kuchiki Rukia, who had just been assigned to go into the human world, and he could see in Kyokki's eyes that she would kill to do something like that. He sighed, "I'll talk to the Commander General and see what I can negotiate."

Kyokki's face lit up. "Thanks Toushi-nii."

"Yeah, yeah, no big deal." Toushirou replied nonchalantly. He watched as she lay silently on the couch, her fingers curled firmly around her the sheath of her zanpakutou. He knew that if he hadn't tried to figure out some way to let her go, she would've eventually found her own way. There were dire consequences for those who abandoned.

Toushirou walked over and sat by her head, listening to her calm breathing. She'd fallen asleep so quickly...

Sometimes he wondered why she wanted to be a shinigami in the first place; the only things she concerned herself with were developing her powers and looking for battles. She kept to herself and gave attention to no one. She was never still, never content with where she was at in the present. She always wanted more, and that, too, was frightening. He shook his head, trying to think. What was the last thing he found out about her...? It seemed like he barely knew her...

"TAICHOUUU!" Matsumoto crashed through the door, yelling Toushirou's title at the top of her lungs. A sake bottle was in one of her hands and as she walked over, she continued her drunken parade, "Ey, taichou! My, my, it's SUCH a nice night out! We should go out sometime, T-ai-ch-ou." She meant to embrace her captain, only to press his face inbetween her large breasts.

"You idiot! Get off of me! And Kyokki's trying to sleep!" He added brashly, his cheeks red.

His vice-captain leaned towards him. "Oh? Taichou's being nice to her again?" She poked the little girl's cheek, "Aren't you the cute older brother? Hitsugaya nii-" But she never got to say the rest - right after she had poked her, Kyokki's eyes had snapped open, her zanpakutou unsheathed in the blink of an eye.

Matsumoto's eyes widened as hands made of shadows wrapped themselves around her neck, cutting the air off from her windpipe. Toushirou yelled at his sister, "Oy! Kyokki, knock it off! She wasn't trying to hurt you!" But the girl didn't seem to have heard him and he realized that she was still asleep. He lifted a finger at her, "Bakudou 61: Six staff light prison!" Six rods of light bound themselves to the girl's torso, and she slumped to the ground, unconscious.

The shadows around Matsumoto dissipated and she knelt on the floor, gasping. Rubbing her neck, she coughed, all traces of alcoholism gone. "What- what is she?"

Toushirou paused for a moment before released his kidou. He picked Kyokki up in his arms, replying shortly to his vice captain, "My sister." And he bid his goodnight to Matsumoto before leaving the room, reminding her to lock up the office before she left.

It seemed like a very long walk from Toushirou's office to his chambers: his mind reeled. The girl in his arms was smart, and fierce. Her spirit power matched his, the youngest captain in Gotei 13's history, and her flash step was on par with that Kuchiki Byakuya, who studied under the legendary Flash Goddess, Shihouin Yoruichi. She acted tough and cold because she didn't want to bond with people she knew she could lose, but when someone came close to her heart, she cared for them like none other.

Toushirou looked at her serene face. It had been a long time since he had seen her so at ease with his presence. He knew that she had been putting a barrier up against him. Ever since he had become a captain, the way she interacted with him was different, and he knew why.

A captain could not pay special attention to someone of their own squad, even if it was a family member. She was his sister, but apart from that, he had no answer for his lieutenant. He didn't even know how she came to be in Rukongai.

Toushirou looked at the girl in his arms. Who was she, really?

* * *

Kyokki blinked. There was something different about her room ... wait. She turned her head. This wasn't her room. This was her brother's room. What was she doing here? The last thing she had remembered was falling asleep in Toushirou's office. Propping herself up on her elbows, she looked around. Her brother was as neat as always.

"You're awake."

Kyokki looked to the doorway, where Toushirou was leaning. She crossed his arms, imitating him. "No, duh." she said coldly.

Toushirou's heart clenched. "The Captain-Commander wants to see you."

He talked to him already? Kyokki pushed back the covers, masking her excitement.

"I'm sorry I haven't been able to spend time with you-"

"Forget it, Toushi-nii." The girl jumped out of the bed, eyes downcast. She didn't want to talk about this. She'd only be more vulnerable. She couldn't have him worry about her feelings. He hadn't for the last fifty years. She definitely wouldn't start now. "Jane." And she jumped out the window.

Toushirou only watched her go. His heart ached, but, as always, he had other things that needed attending to first: some squad disputes and more paperwork.


	9. Chapter 9: Bitterness, Disobedience &

Chapter 9: Bitterness, Disobedience and Who knows What else

"Hitsugaya Kyokki, I have heard your captain's request for you to travel to the human world for experience,

The Captain-Commander was a broad old man who spoke slowly. The hall in which the meeting took place was colossal. There was a wonder that Kyokki had to contain; this was where all the captains would gather if there ever was an emergency meeting. The old man was sitting in his chair at the end of the hall. His eyes were closed (she had never seen them open) and in his hand was his walking stick.

Kyokki did not enjoy being in the Captain-Commander's presence, even if he was the leader of Gotei's 13 squads - he reminded her too much of her own father those many years ago: that detestable tone in his voice, the sharp points in his face, the way he looked at her like she wasn't worthy... Nevertheless, she kept her face passive and listened quietly as he continued.

"I have considered your request, and it is my concern that while you did graduate from the Academy early, you are not a ranked officer, and my sending a shinigami to such a different place would only raise concerns," Kyokki's blood chilled. She knew what was coming, "Therefore, my decision is no, I will not allow you an assignment in the mortal world."

Words slipped from her mouth before she knew it, "But-"

_Clunk!_ The hollow sound of wood on wood resounded throughout the hallway. "Do not test my patience! I have wasted more than enough time on your request. My decision is FINAL!"

Fuming, Kyokki kept her mouth shut and bowed. She could feel his eyes on her as she walked from the room. The day was still young, and as Kyokki stepped out into the sunlight, she could hear the birds singing their morning song. She tightened her jaw. _Sending an unranked officer into the mortal world would raise concerns ... pfft. I am so much more than what everyone thinks I am. _But whose fault was that?

"Kyokki-chan!" Hinamori's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Hinamori...!" The girl turned towards the vice-captain, "What're you doing here?" It was difficult to keep her tone pleasant. Kira and Renji often spoke highly of Hinamori, especially of her kidou skills and the many fights they had experienced with each other. Kyokki envied that. Even though Hinamori was several decades older than her, it was hard to interact with her without feeling bitter or jealous, knowing that Toushirou's heart was split between the both of them.

Hinamori smiled, holding up a letter. "Aizen-taichou wants me to give his report to the Captain-Commander," she studied the girl's guarded face for a bit before, "Were you just in there? How come you're here, Kyokki-chan?"

The girl shrugged. "Just taking a morning walk."

"You look troubled. Is something wrong between you and Shirou-chan?"

Hinamori would be able to tell if there's tension in Toushi-nii's face... did she meet him on the way here? "No, nothing's wrong." She met Hinamori's gaze steadily.

The lieutenant flushed and smiled nervously at the confidence she spoke with. "Oh. I just wanted to make sure. I mean, sorry if I asked too much. Um, I'll see you around, okay? Bye!"

Kyokki nodded a farewell and turned back towards the porch. There was too much to think about here; too many people to avoid, too many people not trip over ... she wanted out. And if it wasn't going to happen with the permission of the authority, she was going to make it happen without their permission. The sooner, the better.

* * *

It was half an hour after Toushirou's breathing changed that Kyokki entered the Senkei gate, a hell butterfly leading. She had hijacked the system, creating an illusion that the Senkei gate had never been breached, allowing her to walk through it without setting off the alarm.

As she neared the light at the end of the tunnel, her heart beat faster; she could taste the familiar air, air she hadn't breathed in fifty plus years. This was the closest to freedom she had ever been in years.

Her eyes narrowed. _It was time._


	10. Chapter 10: An unexpected Meeting

Chapter 10: An Unexpected (and perhaps, rude) Meeting

The house wasn't there anymore, though she should've expected it - it had been almost sixty years since she was last here.

Kyokki pulled the hood lower down her face, trying to keep out the glare from the sun. At the edge of Karakura town, a line of shining new houses gleamed proudly in the sunlight. She used to live here, back when she was still human.

She remembered the alleys she used to run around in and the area under the bridge where she hid when something bad happened. To some extent, she was glad that she didn't have to see that house again - there were too many memories in that house she would've loved to forget, but even dying hadn't rid her of them.

The girl turned away from the new line of houses that had replaced her old neighbourhood, wondering if the old alleyways were still there. There wasn't anything here that was of use to her so there wasn't a reason to tarry any longer. Might as well go check it out.

The stench of stale water reached her nose from a block away. It seemed as if no one had been here in too long.

Kyokki stepped into the shadows of the wall, for the first time feeling unnerved by the shabbiness of her old hiding place.

The hairs on the back of her neck prickled and she flattened herself against the wall, merging into its shadows. She could feel its reiatsu - something that wasn't human, or friendly. Soon enough, another shadow loomed into the alley.

_This feeling ... cold, ferocious... there was so much emptiness, and yet, so much anger and rage_. Kyokki sunk deeper into the depths of the shadow, moving through it to get closer to the monster.

Her heart cringed a little when she saw it - the Hollow resembled that of a giant with abnormally long arms. Its white mask was shaped like a twisted human expression, covering the entirety of its face. Yellow pupils peered from the slanted eye holes of its mask, staring straight at the area where Kyokki was standing. Her blood chilled. _Does it see me?_

Hollows were creatures of the spirit realm - born from human spirits who had been attached to the Earth by regrets or any other earthly ties while they were still alive, and left unattended for too long.

When humans die, they become plus souls; souls that are chained to their attachments (usually places). A broken chain usually entails a process of corrosion, and it is only when this corrosion is significant that a soul begins to become a Hollow. One of the main roles of a shinigami in the real world was to send Plus souls to Soul Society before this corrosion process begins.

Hollows, because of the complete corrosion of their Chain of Fate, lose their heart, becoming monsters of only instinct and desire. They feed on spirits, alive or dead, and gain power with each kill. Where their heart used to be is a giant hole. They detest all shinigami, as shinigami exterminate all Hollow on sight.

Kyokki watched as the monster lumbered into the alley, its long spiked tail trailing behind. As soon as the Hollow was completely enveloped in shadow, hands shot up from the darkness, wrapping itself around the monster. At once it tried to lift its tail in defense, but Kyokki had already pinned it down. The haunting wail of the monster caused a chill to go through the girl's body, but she wasn't going to show that.

She stepped from the darkness so it could see her fully.

It chuckled lowly. "So the fool did decide to come back."

"Fool? I don't think so."

"Oh?" It's voice was hoarse, "I think so."

The hands around its body tightened. "I didn't come to hear your opinion," she replied coldly, "Where is he?"

"Does the little girl miss her daddy? Grk." The Hollow made a strangling sound as the hands increased its grip around its neck further.

"I'm in no mood for jokes. Where is he?"

"Where is who?" A new voice entered the scene and Kyokki turned to the entrance of the alleyway.

A shinigami with spiked orange hair and a sword as tall as he was stood in the sunlight, watching. Kyokki spat at him. "Go away."

He swung the sword so it rested on his shoulder. "No."

Kyokki's eyes hardened. She turned back to the Hollow, loosening the grip her shadow had on him. Satisfaction filled the girl as he gasped for air. "I'm asking you again: where is he?"

There was a pause before the monster caught its breath, still answering in its tired voice. "You've got your hands full, child. He's looking for you. To finish what he started."

Rage bursted from Kyokki as the words reached her ears. The blood in her pounded so hard she could feel her heart pump and she felt power seep from her as it once had when it was still uncontrollable. The shadowed hands began to constrict the Hollow, crushing it mercilessly and she could do nothing but let the power flow from her. The wailing of the Hollow only strengthened her resolve and she squeezed the hands tighter, ignoring the "oy!" from the orange-haired spectator. Blood exploded from the monster, raining down on the girl below as the shadows compressed further until, with a final wail, the Hollow dissipated.

Kurosaki Ichigo could not believe what he just saw - a little girl had just killed her enemy in cold blood. There was something wrong with her. He watched as she pulled her bloodied cloak around her tighter and walked into the shadow of the wall. "Oy!"

Kyokki stopped. "What?"

"Who are you?"

The guard on her heart instantly flew upwards and she narrowed her eyes. "Leave me alone, or I'll kill you." Without another word, she disappeared into the shadows.

"You- oy!" Ichigo sighed exasperatedly, sheathing his zanpakutou. She was such a pain. Who was she to talk to him like that? He only wanted to help... his head snapped towards the road when he heard someone call his name.

"Ichigo!"

Rukia was running towards him. Took her long enough. "Rukia!"

"What happened? Did you kill the Hollow?"

He rubbed the back of his head. "A girl had it when I got here."

"A girl...?"

"Yeah. She killed it without even lifting a finger. Walked into a shadow and disappeared after telling me she'd kill me if I didn't leave her alone."

Rukia stood, shocked. _Kyokki... what was she doing in the human world?_

The boy turned to his friend. "You know who she is, don't you...?"

Rukia closed her eyes and sighed before opening them again. "Ah," she replied, "She's a friend of mine from Soul Society. The younger sister of Gotei 13's tenth squad captain, Hitsugaya Kyokki."

"If she's from Soul Society, what's she doing here?"

The shinigami shook her head. "I don't know. I hadn't received any orders telling me that I was getting help. She must have come here on her own accord."

"Well, if you didn't know she's here, chances are the people in Soul Society don't know she's here either," Ichigo turned back to the alley, "The hollow said that someone was looking for her to finish what he started...," _What was going on?_ "Rukia, would you know where she would go?"

"No," the shinigami shook her head. "She is my friend, but I don't know much about her..." Rukia trailed off, looking at the ground. "Anyways, it's unwise for us to go snooping around. If Soul Society found out she snuck out here, she could get into a lot of trouble."

The teen fell silent. Perhaps it wasn't a big deal and he didn't have anything to worry about. Besides, they had no leads. If they bumped into her again though ... he sighed. "Let's go."


End file.
